Letting Go (Jason Todd)
by redhood-for-hire
Summary: With the few short seconds of his life, he thought of everyone he ever loved. He thought about the one person who could see his light even in his darkest hour. The same person who was there for him no matter what. He thought about HER. (JASON TODDxOC)
1. Prologue

**Here is my Jason Todd story! Like my other story, this is a Jason Todd/OC story. This happens in the same universe as my other story _Having a Bit of Trust_ , so there will be appearances from people in my other story. I used the ****scenario from _Batman: Under the Red Hood_ for the scene because I believe the death scene in the comics with him defending his mother will not correlate with the story I have in mind for this book. **

**I OWN NONE OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MY OC AND HER ORIGINS. EVERYONE ELSE BELONGS TO DC COMICS.**

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 **Prologue**

His body was sore; his head was pulsing in pain. The blood from his facial injuries dripped down to his lips, the blood staining his tongue with a metallic taste. Every breath he took turned into a gasp for air, his lungs screaming in agony. His wrists were red from the tight rope which had burned him. The once slick black mask was now shredded and barely clinging onto his face. Sweat stuck his unruly hair to his forehead which blocked a bit of his vision.

As his face was on the cold cement floor of the abandoned warehouse, his thoughts were filled with hope. Hope that the man who saved him several times before would come and save him again. But deep down, the bleeding boy somehow knew that the simple wish was foolish. He cursed himself for being foolish, for following the madman and not sticking by his mentor. All he had to do was listen to simple orders and he didn't even do that.

He was ripped away from his thoughts when a rough hand grabbed his shoulder and flipped him onto his back. With the new position, he was forced to look up at the man who was slowly killing him. On the white face of the murderer, his thin red lips were in a grin. The Joker's white gloved hands held a black crowbar, one hand tightly wrapped around it, tapping the crowbar on the opposite hand. His victim could see the madness gleam in his cold eyes, the pleasure Joker got from pain sickened him. The Joker's body looming over him chilled him to the bone, his stomach twisted in anxious knots.

In a pathetic attempt to not seem intimidated, the bruised boy tried to get up. He made it up on one of his elbows before being knocked down by the crowbar which had hit his face. The crowbar already had his blood on it and from the recent blow, it just collected even more. He crippled in pain that seemed to come from every part of his body. His lungs began failing him and the groans became coughs.

Joker saw the wincing boy and chuckled, "Wow. That looked like it really hurt."

The only response from the boy in red was a groan. The sound was like music to Joker's ears and gave him the motivation to continue his beating on the poor boy. Joker rose the crowbar above his head before forcefully pulling it down to meet Robin's chest. A hiss of pain was earned. Joker repeated the same thing over again, each time hitting a different spot. A different spot meant a different noise of the boy's pain.

As he began to get bored on simply hitting him, Joker decided to spice it up a bit. He grabbed the side-kick by his cape and pulled him up into a sitting position. Robin was just too tired to fight back so he easily complied to the maniac's wishes. Joker re-adjusted his grip on the metal tool and held it as if it were a golf club. He swung the crowbar to hit his head like a golf ball on a tee. The force brought Robin's head up and pushed him to the ground, a hiss of pain was heard. His gasps were still accompanied by coughs which put much strain on his throat.

"Whoop, now, hang on," Joker observed. "That looked like it hurt a lot more."

The man in purple walked up to Robin and quirked his head to the side, "So, let's try and clear this up. Okay, pumpkin?"

The heavy breathing boy could do nothing more than turn his head away from the monster. Oh, how he prayed that Batman would get there already. He needed his savior, he need his father.

"Which hurts more? A?" Joker brought up the crowbar and bashed it into Robin's ribs. "Or B?" Another hit.

"Forehand?" Hit. "Or backhand?" Hit.

The last hit made Robin move onto his stomach and he spilled all the blood from his mouth onto the floor. The concrete was painted even more red than it was before. The boy's eyes were scrunched shut in a way to cope with the everlasting pain. The Joker's eyes danced in delight of seeing the crimson color come out of the boy he absolutely enjoyed torturing. His infamous laugh that was laced with insanity bounced off the walls of the vast space. His hands tightened around the crowbar from the hard laughter. This laughter brought frustration to the boy and he forced his face on the side a bit to try and speak a witty remark to the villain. Sadly with his mouth swollen, the remark came out as an odd mumble.

The Joker heard the pathetic mumbling and got down on his knees, his face right next to the boy's bloody one. His raspy voice imitated the terrible attempt to speak. "You're going to have to talk louder, porkchop. I think you may have a collapsed lung." His gloved hand came up to the jet black hair of Robin's and began ruffling it. "That always impedes the oratory."

Angry and annoyed at the psycho, Robin mustered up all the blood left in his mouth and spat it at Joker. The red was a large contrast to the white skin of the Joker's chin. The grin that was on the maniac's face was soon gone, his eyes were wide in shock. He had not expect the sidekick to do such an unmannerly thing. The corners of his red lips turned down into a snarl. The hand he used to ruffle the boy's hair was now tightly tangled in it. With a mass amount of force, Joker slammed Robin's face into the ground.

Joker got up from his knees and took a handkerchief out of his coat pocket, wiping the blood off of his chin. "Now that was rude. The first Boy Blunder had some manners."

Robin turned over to face him and gave him a bloody grin, taking pride in what he had done. Joker squinted at him in disatisfaction.

"I suppose I'm going to have to teach you a lesson so you can better follow in his footsteps." He sighed. With a quick change of mind, Joker shrugged. "Nah, I'm just gonna keep beating you with this crowbar."

Joker raised the crowbar over his head and stepped on the Robin's back. The pressure added on his upper body brought pain to him. Joker just laughed at his own wicked humor. All the Boy Wonder could do was look up at the man with his piercing green eyes. The realization that he was possibly going to die in a few short moments hit him like a tidal wave. He closed his eyes and thought about every mistake he made.

When the Joker was finished, he threw his crowbar to the side. He stared at the bloody boy with pride in what he had accomplished. He had successfully tortured - and was about to kill - the sidekick of his greatest enemy. The boy was no Batman but he was the person he knew would bring great pain to Batman if hurt. Joker walked away from Robin and went over to a chair that had his large coat for the weather. With class, he picked up the coat and began putting it on. He made it to the door and opened it, becoming vulnerable to the harsh cold weather.

Tidying himself up he spoke to the limp boy. "Okay, kiddo, I got to go. It's been fun though, right?" Not receiving an answer, he turned back toward the outside. "Well, maybe a smidge more fun for me than you - I'm just guessing since you're being awfully quiet."

When no response was heard, Joker just shrugged. "Anyway, be a good boy, finish your homework and be in bed by nine. And, hey, please tell the big man I said," He paused to pull up his furry hood. "Hello."

The villain bursted into laughter as he shut the door closed and locked it, sealing the fate of the boy inside.

As the door shut, Robin lifted up one eyelid to ensure that Joker was gone. When it was confirmed, Robin used all the energy he had left to try and escape the warehouse. He rolled over onto his back and somersaulted backwards which gave him the advantage of having his hands now in front of him rather than behind him. With his numb arms, he used them to help himself up into a standing position. Robin nearly fell from his own body weight and the soreness of his legs making them weak. When he gained balance, he took a shaky step forward. His legs not having it, failed and he fell back to the ground.

The wind was knocked out of him, walking was no option. But as he stared up at the door that lead him to freedom, determination shone in his eyes. He was Robin, the sidekick of Batman, he was a fighter - a warrior, he could do it. With the small strength of his limbs, he began dragging himself to the metal door. Every movement he made felt like a thousand needles were stabbing him at once. His groaned in pain but continued, he had to fight for his life.

Slowly but surely, Robin made it the the metal door. A crimson trail had followed him, but he took no notice. The Boy Wonder managed to get on his knees in order to actually reach for the handle. Hope and happiness flooded through him as he reached for the haddle. His hand eagerly wrapped around the metal knob and twisted it only to find out that it was locked. His heart shattered at the realization, he was trapped in there. His hope and happiness he felt prior was washed away.

Angry, he banged his fist on the door before twisting around and leaning in it. He was so damn close, he could just feel the freedom. Now Robin was caged like the bird he was named after. He sighed, he would have to wait for Batman to come, _if_ he came. Robin shook his head at himself. Of course he would come, he was his _son_. Batman would come, he just had to wait.

As Robin stared down at his hands that were now rough, he heard a noise. Alarmed, he frantically looked around the room he was in for the source of the noise. What he found made him want to yell and cry in despair. There, not even thirty feet away from him, was a bomb with the number currently being counted down from nine. Only nine seconds before the bomb explodes.

Robin's eyes softened in acknowledgment. He knew he was going to die and even though he could grasp onto false hope and think that he could make it, Robin just accepted his fate. He was going to die and he nor Batman can do anything about it. Jason closed his eyes and leant his head against the wall. With the few short seconds he had he thought of everyone he loved. He thought about the one person who could see his light even in his darkest hour. The same person who was there for him no matter what. The person he loved with every fiber of his being.

He thought about **_her_**.

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 **I hoped you liked it and I hope the emotion hit you guys too. Please do the usual, and stay incredible.**

 **-coloredreign**


	2. Chapter 1

**The most annoying thing in the world is when you are halfway through a chapter and the newly written part doesn't save. So after several yells, hair pulls and tears of frustration, I give you chapter one.**

 **Please enjoy, I've put a lot of effort into it.**

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 **Seven Years Before**

 **DECEMBER 25TH**

 **GOTHAM CITY**

Snow covered the dangerous streets of Gotham. Cars parked on the side of the roads had a layer of the white ice that fell from the sky. Police sirens and gunshots could be heard by anyone. Criminal activity mainly occurred at night - drug deals, street walkers, gangsters, etc. Gotham was no place to be after the sun has set, yet there in an alley, stood a little boy.

He was still in his first decade of living and already living on the streets after the loss of his parents. The boy had dark brown - nearly black - hair and forest green eyes that held nothing but sorrow where brightness and delight should be. He wore a large worn-out green coat that had several holes scattered across it. Cheeks were marked with dirt and hair greasy from the lack of showers. His shoes were beat up, the laces barely keeping together. The sight of him could be a heartbreak but wasn't, at least not to the several cold people of Gotham.

The green-eyed boy wandered the streets in search for food, whether it's canned or thrown away. His arms were crossed over his chest in an effort to contain heat. Goosebumps littered his skin and his lips were chapped and blue. The feeling of an empty stomach physically hurt him, he needed food and fast. He attempted to look in a few garbage cans, however, he was greeted by nothing except boxes. Not finding anything, he settled on hunger.

 _It's late anyways_ , he convinced himself.

The orphan walked down a few streets towards the familiar fire escape. Once he found it, he began his normal routine. He went over to the nearby dumpster and began shoving it with side of his arm. Grunts past his lips as he pushed the metal box that was ten times his weight. His frail little body hurt as he pushed against the large object. His naked fingers pressed on the cold metal began to ache, his eyes were pinched shut. From how many times the child has done it, he still is not used to it. As the days go by, he gets skinnier and skinnier which makes the task of moving the dumpster harder and harder. After what seemed like forever, the dumpster was finally in place. He couldn't help but release a sigh of relief, the hardest part was now over.

The boy then used the last remaining energy left in his stressed muscles to lift himself up on top of the dumpster. As he made it on top, he lied down to catch his breath. He was running on empty and he hard physical work was definitely not helping. He closed his eyes shielding his emerald orbs from the world and focused on his breathing. It took a few moments to calm his erratic heartbeat but when he did, he felt so much better. He got back up knowing that he had to get back to work.

Quickly, he stood up and began reaching for the fire escape ladder. With a few jumps to help him gain height, he was able to grasp onto the metal bar and pull it down with his body weight. The ladder made an audible bang as the bottom hit the top of the dumpster. The orphan winced at the thought that someone heard him. The last thing he wanted was someone to come and hurt him, especially when he had nothing to defend himself with. A few moments passed and no one came so the boy gave himself the right-away to continue his little mission. Securing his foot on the bottom bar, he began climbing up the ladder. Each time he looked down to make sure his foot was properly placed on a step, the last thing he wanted to do was fall. He had fallen one too many times and didn't plan on falling again.

After he made it up the ladder, he got on the first platform of the fire escape. From there on was easy since he just had to climb stairs - ten flights of stairs, but still stairs. Trying to go up the stairs quickly, he skipped steps on the way up. The metal underneath his beat up sneakers rattled. He panted as he ran up the rust infested stairs, still exhausted. His cheeks puffed out from the heavy exhales with visible fog showing. The temperature was definitely under twenty-five degrees fahrenheit, long past the freezing point. The railings on fire escape held a layer of frost as if a reminder of the chill weather.

A sigh of relief was released when he made it on top of the tall building. The building he resided at was one of the tallest in the area, it was surrounded with apartments and townhouses all squished together. The orphan enjoyed the height difference, he felt security from the harmful hands that waited below. He wanted nothing more than to leave Gotham, but he - like most - were stuck in the pathetic excuse for a city. He rubbed his sore neck while walking towards his living quarters on the roof, he would probably steal some painkillers from the pharmacy the next day.

A yawn escaped his lips at the sight of his makeshift bed. His shelter was made from things he could scavenge and a lot of times stole. The roof of the shelter was a metal panel from a warehouse. He found in the dumpster of warehouse itself, he saw the potential and swiped it. Then he had cement blocks that acted as support beams, those he took from an abandoned construction site. Finders keepers, right? He place the shelter right next to a vent that released hot air twenty-four seven, it was how he kept from freezing to death. Inside the shelter was two thick woolen blankets, one acted as a bed while the other a blanket. Sure the shelter itself was a piece of junk but it still worked and for that, the boy felt proud at his work.

Went in his little shelter was instantly greeted by the heat. A shiver ran through his body from the sudden change of temperature. In no time a content smile was placed on his face, happy about the warm. He lied down on one of the blankets and wrapped himself with the other. The boy balled up in a fetal position, the heat was much more easily kept that way. He closed his eyes shielding the emerald orbs away from the world. All he did for ten minutes was wait for slumber to come in and sweep him away. Sadly, the dark abyss never came. He felt tired but just couldn't fall asleep, it irked him so much that he released a huff of frustration. He sat up from his comfortable position with his back hunched over. With his small hand, he ran it through his greasy hair. Just another reminder that he was in desperate need of a shower.

Pondering on what he could do to help him fall asleep faster, he thought it best to wear himself out. He stood up with the blanket still wrapped around himself and began pacing around the roof. While walking around, he stared at the other building around the area. Some lights were on while others were off, most curtains were closed while others were just left open to the public. A certain opened curtain window caught his attention. It was a view of a kitchen.

There was a man talking to a young girl that looked around the same age as the orphan watching. Also, there was woman who seemed to have been putting away tupperware containers, easy to assume that they had food. Just the thought caused a loud growl to come from his stomach. He watched as the man and the little girl left the kitchen, the woman following behind when she was finished putting the left-overs in the fridge and turned off the light. Another light turned on shortly after. From what he could see, it appeared to be the bedroom of the little girl. The two adults tucked her into bed and kissed then left shortly after. The orphan felt a pang of jealousy that she had both parents and he was left with nothing. It was Christmas and he was all alone cold and starving, while they probably had a feast that had remains. An idea popped up in his head. It was safe to say the family retired for the night and he was sure that they were probably going to let the food spoil in the fridge. He would gladly take the food from their hands, without permission of course.

He spent no time to second guess himself - with a burst of energy from the mere thought of food, he threw the blanket back into the shelter and raced back down the fire escape.

§

The ten-year-old has broken into places before. Sure it was when no one was home but it couldn't have been that different. All he had to do was be much more silent than all the other times. He had a piece of flat metal lodged into a gap on the windowsill. He quietly moved it back and forth in semi-quick movements. The orphan was trying to flip the lock from the outside and wasn't succeeding. As time went by, his movements became much more urgent. The growling of his stomach was just getting louder and hurt more than the last. After what seemed like eternity, a click was heard. He had to restrain himself from yelling yes.

When he calmed down from his excitement, he went straight to work. Slowly, he slid the window open and stepped in one foot at a time. Warmth quickly rushed towards him as he stepped into the room. Moonlight came in from the window, lighting up a bit of the room. He could've sworn that he counted right, he expected to land in the kitchen but was instead in the room of the little girl. He swallowed the groan he was about to release, this was not part of the plan. For all he knew she could be a light sleeper and instantly wake up. In his mind, he debated on giving up or continuing with the plan. Of course he chose the latter, he was already in he couldn't just turn back now. His eyesight went towards the bed which was off the ground and on a top bunk. From the dim light of the moon, the orphan could see the shape of a desk and computer occupying the lower bunk instead of another bed. He scoffed in his head at the sight.

 _Parents probably spoil her_ , he bitterly thought looking around the room with tons of toys organized on shelves. _I take that back; they_ definitely _spoil her._

Rolling his eyes, he carefully began his walk towards the door. His steps were soundless on the carpet floor and for that he was grateful. A few short moments later he had his small pale hand wrapped around the doorknob. He turned it as slowly and quietly as he could to ensure his stealth. Everything was going fine until he actually began swinging the door open. Two bright flashes lit up the room, he couldn't help but hold his breath. He looked back up towards the bed to see if the little girl stirred. Nothing seemed abnormal so he continued his task.

The first body part to stick out into the corridor was his head. He looked down each side of the hall to make sure the parentals were in their room and asleep. Feeling positive that they were off into dreamland, he began his way to the kitchen. The way to the kitchen was a bit confusing to the young child, it was his first - and surely his last - time in the apartment. When he did reach the kitchen, he couldn't see a thing. It was nearly pitch black and he could only see a digital clock telling the time in bright green colors. As he walked forward and into the dark room, he held his hands out blindly trying to feel for anything. The first object that met his hand was hard. Hesitantly, he placed his other hand on the surface. With the tips of his fingers, he dragged the along the surface. He was able to easily identify the object as a table. Thinking back to when he was on the roof, he recalled seeing the table through the window. If his memory was correct, he would be able to make his way from the table to the refrigerator.

Taking breath, he relied on his memory to guide him to his next meal. His feet shuffled forward just for his right foot to collide with a leg that belonged to the table. The boy's bottom lip was tucked between and bitten by his teeth. The simple hit had caused so much pain through his foot. Multiple words that a person his age should not know flooded through his head at the thought of the pain and the commotion he probably caused. The table not only released a thump but a squeal too. Just suck in the pain, he thought. C'mon, don't be a wuss. His self-motivation brought him to continue walking towards where he thought the fridge was located. He went back to holding his hands out to avoid getting another injury.

The second object to meet his hands was cold. He brushed his hands all over the vertical surface until he met a bar. A satisfied grin came to his face as he began to open the door. His grin stretched from ear to ear as the light to the fridge glowed and revealed food. His stomach growled in anticipation at the sight of the food. As his eyes scanned through the interior he spotted tupperware containers. He instantly reached and greedily snatched the food from where it was place. The thought of what food was exactly in the containers crossed his mind but was soon pushed away. He had not right to be picky. Beggars can't be choosers.

Before he closed the door of the refrigerator, he snatched a water bottle knowing he needed something to wash down the food. Last thing he wanted was to choke while swallowing the first decent meal he had in months. Content with what was in his hands, he began his exit. Retracing his steps and remembering the table he hit himself with prior, he was able to make it back into the hallway and toward the room of the little girl.

From the moment he had the food in his arms, he held a strong smile on his beautiful childish features. It stayed there as he walked through the darkness of the corridor and as he opened the door, even when the obnoxious flashing of light occurred once again when he opened the door. His cheshire grin was sent to the top bunk of the bed where the lump of a body could be seen. However, when his green eyes met the window, his smile faltered. The window which he knew he left open was now closed. Hesitantly, he took cautious steps towards the glass.

Fear sent chills all through his entire body as he neared his exit. Where relief should have been, there was a sickening feeling that something bad was going to happen. As he was in reaching distance from the window, he rose a nervous hand. He gulped down the tension that was building in his throat as his fingers brushed the white lock on the window.

"Stop right there!"

The orphan froze at the young voice that said the command. He pinched his eyes closed and muttered a word someone his age should not say. He wanted nothing more than to just jump out the window and run away. However, he knew better though, plus if he did proceed with the foolish plan, then he would surely drop the food he spent so much effort on retrieving.

"Drop whatever you have in your hands, t-then turn around!" The person continued.

Reluctantly the boy obliged and slowly placed the food and water onto the floor. He slowly stood back up with his hands in the air in surrender before turning around to face the person who had caught him. His forest green orbs met the figure of the young girl who occupied the room. He took in her appearance slowly. She was wearing pajama pants with a crown pattern and a shirt that had the latest Disney princess on it. She held a pink waffle bat up in a swinging position as her defense. The young girl had her hair in curly blonde locks, each one reminded him of telephone cords. From their distance and the darkness in the room, the boy couldn't decipher what color her eyes were but from his current view, he guessed they were an ordinary dull brown.

The street kid finally took in her facial expression and didn't know whether to laugh or pee his pants. Her lips were pressed together tightly while her eyebrows dropped low along with her squint. He guessed that was her most intimidating face but on her youthful and innocent features, it just looked adorable. Yet, he somehow knew that he shouldn't try to get on her bad side. She did have bat afterall.

The resident of the room then began to inch towards the door which the intruder watched with fearful eyes. She was going to get her parents and they will call the cops which will most likely lead to him going into the system he fought so hard to stay out of. He took one step forward to try and negotiate with her to not get her parents but the girl became frightened stepped back.

"Stay right there!" She warned pointing the bat at him. He rose his hands back in the air and stepped back where he was before.

"Sorry." He mumbled but the girl couldn't hear him.

The blonde then reached for what she was looking for and flipped it on. The light attached to her ceiling fan lit up so they were able to see each other and the room better. Her eyebrow rose at his appearance, his back was faced towards the only source of light before causing her to not know how he looked like. She took in his ragged clothes and his greasy dark brown hair and his desperate green eyes that were paired with purple bags under them. Her eyes traveled from his head down his body to his feet then to the stolen items. The girl's eyes widen at the food containers on the floor. When the cold breeze from her window woke her up and she saw the intruder walk through her room, she thought that they were trying to steal things that were actually worth something. She never expected for them to steal food.

The food thief watched as the blonde's eyes widen before softening. He cautiously watched as she lowered the bat in her hands and he knew from the looks she gave him, it was out of pity. A weird feeling flooded through him and he shifted his shoulders around in an attempt to get rid of it. He didn't like the look she was giving him, pity was one feeling he did not welcome. The temptation of telling her to quit looking at him was extreme, however, he knew that if he decided to be rude to her, the bat would go right back up and she wouldn't hesitate to yell to her parents. Instead of unleashing the attitude he grew accustomed to in the streets of Gotham, he bit his tongue and stood still.

He watched with clammy hands as she walked over towards her bedside table and reached for something. The eyebrows of the orphan furrowed in confusion, what could she possibly be getting? His question was soon answered when she got the two little devices and placed one behind each ear. His lips parted in awe as she correctly positioned and turned on her hearing aids. When her hands came down from her ears, he couldn't help but blurt out: "You can't hear?"

It was now the little girl's turn to shift uncomfortably. A blush began to blossom on her pale cheeks in embarrassment; needing help to hear has always been one of her biggest insecurities. She would be stared at constantly for being different, for being a born different. It never was problem with her before, but then she was introduced to the rude peers in the public schools of Gotham.

"It's called deaf," She muttered. "And yeah - kind of."

He rose an eyebrow at her, "What'd'ya mean 'kind of'?"

"I'm partially deaf. I can only hear loud things and my aids help me hear the quiet things." She shrugged. "But shouldn't I be questioning you? Why are you here stealing my momma's food?"

"I was hungry." He admitted.

Her head tilted to the side, "You're not hungry now?"

"To be honest, ya kinda scared the hunger out of me."

"Where are your parents?" The thought of his deceased parents brought tears to his eyes. Yes they were never there for him but they were still his parents and he was still just a child. He loved them no matter how neglecting they were towards him. He turned his face towards the floor to shield his watery eyes from her. No way was he going to let the stranger in front of him see him cry.

"Dead."

Guilt swam at the bottom of her heart. "I-I'm sorry for asking."

"Don't be, it's nothing." He quietly sniffled.

The girl's observant eyes noticed the redness of his face and his attempts of making it unnoticeable. "You know it's okay to cry right? You miss your parents-"

"I ain't crying." He snapped. He expected her to be offended by his attitude but much to his surprise, she remained unphased.

"I'm deaf, not dumb." He rolled his eyes at her comment. "But if you don't want to talk about it, it's fine."

He was intrigued by her maturity and lack of pressure. Most people don't care if he's an orphan on the street and the few that do try to pry out the details from him. Luckily he hasn't had much people that actually took interest but he's had enough to hate talking about the topic.

"Thanks." He told her.

"No problem." She gave him a kind smile. "So, are still not hungry?"

"I'm a little hungry. Why?"

"Well, there's some food on my floor that you can eat." She offered.

His jaw dropped, "You're actually gonna let me take it?"

"You need it more than we do." She answered.

"But won't ya Mom and Dad wonder where all the food went?"

"I'll just make something up." She shrugged.

He looked her up and down once more. "You don't seem like the kind of person that lies to their parents"

"I'm not," She told him honestly. "But they told me there is always a right time to lie. I guess this is one of them."

Her kindness made him feel pleased. It was refreshing to meet a kind heart after all his months on the streets with selfish people. He tried being kind in the beginning of his independence; he asked kindly for food to the other homeless people of Gotham. Instead of being rewarded with food for his kindness, he was awarded with laughter and a few punches and kicks. Being nice got him nowhere on the streets and he sadly had to learn it the hard way. The blonde with the soft brown eyes that stood in front of him would not last a day out in the streets. Her toughest face resembled that of a baby deer. A chuckle bubbled from his throat at the thought.

The girl of his thoughts gave him a questioning look. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing. It's just that - you're really nice and I'm not used to it."

"Well, someone has to be nice in a mean place like Gotham."

"A lot of people are afraid of being bad nowadays. Y'know with the Bat going around trying to save the city and all." He chuckled looking at the floor.

"You don't think he can do it?" The girl asked.

The boy rose his head to look at her in eyes, he was no longer laughing. "This city is too much of a dump now to be saved."

"Maybe a superhero is just what we need then."

"Yeah," He wondered. "Maybe."

Realising the turn of their conversation, the girl giggled. Her soft laughter brought the orphan out of his thoughts on the Dark Knight of Gotham. The food was still on the floor of her room and the time of her clock on her bedside table notified her that morning was just a few short hours away. She had been conversing with the intruder for a while still had not asked him his name. Sure their conversation began because she was threatening him with her plastic bat but it quickly became civilized.

"You can eat in here if you want." She offered.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"It's better than eating out in the cold."

"True." He agreed. "I'm Jason."

"Erin." She answered. "I'm sorry for threatening you with a bat."

Jason's eyes widened, "You're apologizing to me? I thought I was the thief."

Erin giggled at his joke. "Well, you were hungry. Y'know before I scared you."

"You didn't scare me, getting caught scared me." He defended.

"Whatever," It was Erin's turn to roll her eyes. "How about you come over again for food? Then you can never get scared of getting caught ever again."

"Really?" Jason gaped at the young beauty.

She nodded. "And maybe bathe too because you kinda stink."

The young boy just laughed. He never expected his night to turn the way it has. The two children sat down on the floor and talked while the orphan ate his food. She watched as he scarfed down his food; she could tell by how thin he looked that he hadn't had a sufficient meal for a while. His arms were covered by his jacket but his bony hands were visible and so were his collar bones that could be seen. Never had she seen another kid so skinny; the only part of him that still had some meat were his child cheeks but even those were thinning out. Knowing that she is helping her new found friend brought happiness to her heart.

Erin then complied to her promise and let him take a shower after his meal giving some of her dad's clothes to him to wear, despite them being extremely baggy on his extremely small frame. She found Jason a pair of her dad's basketball joggers and a sweater that he know he'll never miss. Jason couldn't be more grateful for her kindness. Boy was he happy that he broke into her house, if he hadn't then he would still be out in the cold starving. To top it all off, she also offered him a place to rest for the night. Jason was hesitant at first but then succumbed to her doe eyes and agreed to after she promised to wake him up early so her parents wouldn't catch him.

That night a friendship was born and they didn't know that it would soon become more.

* * *

 **Okay I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter and I promise I will update again soon. This isn't edited so I apologize for errors.**

 **Please follow, favorite and review!**

 **I love all your reviews and they help motivate me to write.**

 **Also, go and check out my other story _Having A Bit of Trust_ which is a Dick GraysonxOC fanfiction and will correspond with this one. I have both storylines planned out and they entwine a bit.**

 **Then, after you check out that book, if you are a fan of Bucky Barnes (MCU) then you should keep an eye out for my story _Remember Me_ which I'm going to post any day now.**

 **Stay incredible,  
** **coloredreign**


	3. Chapter 2

**REPOSTED. Much longer and better written than the previous chapter 2**

 **EDITED (hahaha jk, I don't edit)**

 **Quick Question(s): Would you like me to start posting the songs I listen to while writing chapters? Would you also like me to start giving shout outs?**

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 **GOTHAM CITY  
MAY 13TH** **  
** _ **SIX YEARS AND SEVEN MONTHS BEFORE**_

 **THE MORNING AFTER THEIR MEETING** , Jason left at dawn to make sure he was not caught. Erin kept up with her promise to Jason of hiding his breaking-and-entering. When her parents questioned her about the missing food, she told them that she ate it in the middle of the night. Her parents could sense the obvious lie that slipped through her lips but both decided to let it slide. Later that same day, Erin sat next to her window waiting for the friend she had made. She had the leftovers next to her, ready to give to him. The grin on the blonde's face couldn't be bigger as he came knocking on her window asking for access in. Excitement flooded through as she messily opened the lock and welcomed him in. The grateful smile Jason gave her brought pride to her heart. Jason too was excited for the friend he made. Normally he wouldn't trust anyone but the kindness she showed him had bought him over. Plus, how could he turn down free food? He couldn't forget that fact that she let him sleep over too. At that point he was thinking that she was too polite for her own good. After his meal, he spent the night once more on the carpet floor in her room with a thick quilt, a pink fuzzy blanket, and a nice fluffed pillow.

Now five months later, she waited patiently by her windowsill like she did every night. A large grin took residence on her lips and nothing would be able to wipe it away. The amazing news that was buzzing in her mind was desperate to be released and told. Her eyes were trained out the window and to the fire escape. Jason always used the fire escape. Erin couldn't help but squeal in delight when she saw the familiar jade-eyed boy. She hastily opened the lock to her window and tugged him in her room with all her might, causing the poor boy to stumble in. When he gave her a soft glare, an apology was tossed to Jason.

He couldn't help but notice the bright look on her face and question it. "What's up with you?"

"My mom got the best thing ever!" Erin squealed.

Jason rose a brow, "What did she get?"

Instead of answering immediately, she held a finger up to him asking for a moment. Erin then ran out the room with her dark blonde curls bouncing. A soft smile hung on the boy's lips, his emotions mixed. Confused at her excitement but he couldn't help but enjoy her happiness. Oh how he wished he could've been like that. Jason's thoughts couldn't help but slowly creep into his dark memories. Growing up with bottles and needles scattered all over his old home. Slowly, the small smile he once wore on his lips faded away into a frown.

"Sorry it took me a while. Mom put them on the top shelf." Erin's voice pulled Jason out of his memories. He tore his eyes away from a random empty space and back to Erin. She couldn't help but notice his change in demeanor.

"You okay?" Her voice held worry.

"Yeah, just thinkin'." Jason's slight Gotham accent evident in his words.

"Well, enough thinking and more eating." A Cheshire Cat expression was on her face.

He looked at her even more confused. "Eat what?"

"These!" Erin pulled the bag of sweets in front of her and Jason's faces.

He pulled his head back to gain some distance from the bag. It was a plastic bag that was transparent, allowing Jason to see the white cylinders that were within. A colorful logo was on the front of it. He scrunched his nose at the unfamiliar sweets and looked at Erin who was still smiling. His forest green eyes looked over to her brown ones.

"What are those?" Jason asked pointing at the bag.

"What are these?" She gaped. "You've never had marshmallows before?"

"No," He shook his head.

Erin did not hesitate to rip the bag open—albeit with a lot of difficulty—and hold one out to Jason. Cautiously, he reached for the small white sweet and grabbed it. He didn't expect the texture to be so fluffy. If it was a pillow, he would definitely sleep on it. Holding it between his thumb and his forefinger, he gave it a few pinches testing the texture out even more. Jason looked over at Erin and she gave him a small nod of encouragement. 'It can't be that bad if Erin loves them,' He thought. Slowly, he lifted the marshmallow up and placed it in his mouth. Never had he tasted something so sweet and sugar filled. Jason hummed at the delicious taste. Chewing the marshmallow was a bit difficult, but he was able to finally swallow it. Despite the fact that it was a bit a hard to swallow and caused more saliva to be produced, he actually understood why she liked them so much.

"They're really good." Jason declared.

"I know, right?" Erin agreed. "Want some more?"

"Yes." He answered reaching for another one. "But, you know what's better?"

She shook her head, "Nothing's better than marshmallows."

"Wanna bet?" Jason smirked.

"Fine, what's better than these heavenly snacks?" She sighed.

"Chili dogs."

Erin scrunched her eyebrows, "Chili Dogs?"

"Chili dogs," He confirmed. "Not any chili dog, the ones from Gotham Square."

"Never had them." She told him before popping a marshmallow into her mouth.

"I'll bring you one some day. Chili dogs are my favorite food."Jason informed her.

"Well, my favorite is obviously marshmallows. They're just so sweet!" Erin said in delight.

Jason was going to answer in agreement but footsteps stopped them both in their places. The footsteps continued to get louder, meaning the person who was walking was approaching the room. The two ten-year-olds looked at each other in fear, both pairs of eyes were wide. Erin raised both of her hands and began shaking them in a sweeping motion as if to say 'Go hide!' Jason nodded in understanding and ran towards the closest place to hide which just so happened to be underneath a heap of stuffed animals in the corner of her room. Erin stood up too to help hide him under the stuffed animals. Right when she placed the last stuffed animal onto the pile, a light flashed twice.

She snapped her neck towards the now open door and looked at her mom. Tired bags held underneath her eyes. Erin couldn't help but notice that her mom seemed much more tired recently. Hopefully, it had nothing to do with her mother's work. Missus Roberts even began leaving the house on weekends which was very unnatural on her part.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Erin questioned.

"I thought I heard you talking to someone. Are you on the phone? You know that your father needs the computer in a bit." Her mother answered, eyes scanning the room.

Coming up with quick lie, Erin motioned towards the pile of toys Jason was hidden under. "I was just playing with my toys!"

"Are you sure?" She inquired.

"Mhmm." Erin assured.

Even though she was not completely bought by the lie, her mother simply nodded. "Alright, I believe you. I also wanted to remind you to do your homework."

If Erin hated anything in the world, it would be her homework. She was a bright child, but even the bright ones get tired of taking classwork home and doing it. Especially since she had a friend she would rather talk to. She still had difficulty understanding why she had to, she never sees Jason do homework. She couldn't help but be a bit jealous of Jason. She wished she didn't have to do homework.

"Mom," Erin groaned. "I only have to read and I can do that later."

"If it's so simple then do it now to get it over with."

"But—"

"No but's." Her mother interrupted.

"Fine." She sighed dramatically.

"Good, I love you." The adult cooed.

"Love you, too."

Satisfied with Erin's answer, her mother left to let her daughter do her homework. The two kids waited to hear the footsteps fade away. Once the steps left their earshot, Jason popped up from underneath the toys. Erin pretended to wipe sweat from her brow causing Jason to chuckle at her silliness. She felt accomplished to be awarded with the laugh of the orphan in front of her. That was her favorite thing about him, his laugh. It wasn't often that she heard it, but when she did, it was music to her ears.

"That was close." She whispered to him in a soft giggle.

"You can say that again."

They both laughed at the close call just moments prior. The two might've been in a lot of trouble if caught. That wasn't the first time something like that happened. One morning, Jason didn't wake up early as he usually did and nearly didn't make it out the window in time before Erin's parents woke her up for school. Another time, Erin's father swore he heard a little boy's laughter (which was Jason's); Erin of course lied saying that it was a video she was watching on her computer.

When their laughter settled down Erin spoke with much dismay, "I have to read."

Jason quirked a brow, "What's so bad about reading?"

"Don't tell me you actually like reading? It's terrible!"

"I wouldn't know." He mumbled.

Not catching what he said, she reached behind her ear and turned the volume up on her hearing aids. "What did you say?"

He closed his eyes in embarrassment and repeated his words. "I can't read."

Hesitantly, he opened one eye at a time to take in her reaction. Erin's eyes were wide, dark brown pools looking at him. Her pale lips were slightly open, shock covered her expression. He didn't know if she was going to make fun of him or not. With her face remaining the same, a flush of red crept onto his pale face. He felt small under her stare and he didn't like it. Not one bit. Uncomfortable with her stare, he looked down at the floor.

"You really can't read?" Were the first words she spoke in response to the news.

"Yeah, I can't. Gonna make fun of me for it?" He asked rudely.

Taken aback but his sudden attitude, her next words stumbled out in nothing but stutters. "N-No, I'm not. Why w-would I do t-that?"

Realizing his wrong accusation, he apologized. "I'm sorry, Erin. I didn't mean to be—well, mean. It's just that, I've been made fun of because of it."

"Jason, I would never." She said in all honesty. "Why can't you read? Y-you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Jason thought it was only fair to continue to tell, she already knew of his illiteracy. "My Mom and Dad never took me to school. They were too busy to take me."

"Too busy? How could they be too busy to take you to school?" Erin questioned.

That question hit a little too close to home, for his liking. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Sorry." She mumbled.

A silence dawned upon the friends. Erin was still taking in the fact that Jason couldn't read while Jason on the other hand, was thinking about how Erin now knew of that secret. He tried to teach himself once, but grew too frustrated with the failed attempts. It did make things he did during the day a bit more difficult, but not impossible. Erin was thinking about that; she couldn't imagine how difficult it must be for him to not be able to read. Reading is a necessity in life, even if she doesn't like reading herself.

As Erin looked over at Jason, an idea popped in mind. No one deserved to be uneducated in her eyes. Her parents always told her that a great education leads to a great future. Whatever that meant. Friends help each other out, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

"How about I teach you?" She blurted.

Jason's head snapped up from looking at his hands. "Teach me what?"

"How to read, silly."

"Really?"

"Yes, really!" Erin giggled. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't teach you how to read?"

A large smile broke out on Jason's face. His green eyes lit up in glee — never has he been so ecstatic! He was never placed into a school, even when he lived with his parents. It was something new and he couldn't wait to learn. No more looking like a fool, no more feeling like one. The happiness he felt in his heart was unexplainable. Jason wanted to tell her how happy she made him feel with those few words that left her lips. Oh those pink lips that reminded him of the flowers they sell on the streets in the summer. Erin herself reminded him of the summer. She was so bright and so joyful all the time. She was like the sun; her light made all the shadows in Jason's world disappear.

Not knowing a better way to say 'thank you', Jason leaped towards her and embraced her in a large hug. The action surprised Erin, a small gasp left her lips. She had not expected him to hug her so suddenly. From the few months she knew him, she had learned that he wasn't much into physical contact. As the moments passed, his grip on her small frame only got tighter and Erin found herself wrapping her arms around him too. She half-expected him to smell a bit good but boy was she wrong. He smelt of gasoline, oil and the polluted air of Gotham City. Even though her friend was in need of a shower, she still held on tightly. Erin thought she understood how grateful he must be just by the hug. She didn't know the half of it.

"Thank you so much, Erin." Jason whispered in her ear.

"You're welcome, Jason." Erin whispered back and added on. "You're welcome to take a shower too."

Jason pulled away from the hug and playfully rolled his eyes at the younger girl. He tried to keep an unamused look on his face but a smile threatened to break out. The tips of his lips were slightly curled as he said: "You always say something about my smell."

"I can't help it," She shrugged with a goofy grin. "I've always been told to be honest."

"Yeah, whatever." Jason said with a grin of his own.

 _ **§**_

When Erin got off the bus the next day, she was surprised to see both of her parents waiting for her. Normally, her mother would be the only one to pick her up since she got off of work early. On any other regular day, her father would be working in the big LexCorp building. The two loving parents each held a hand out towards the ten year old. Erin gratefully took their hands; her position now between the two of them. What the young girl also realized, was that at the corner of 4th Street, they went left instead of right. The way they were going was not the way home. Erin's thoughts instantly flew to the boy with the emerald eyes. She knew he would be waiting at the window waiting for her return like an obedient dog to it's master. Worried for making Jason wait, Erin decided to question her parents.

"Mommy, Daddy. Where are we going?"

The two adults looked down to their daughter, each had a smile worn. Erin searched their faces for any other emotion than happiness. She couldn't help but be suspicious that her parents are holding something from her. As her eyes grazed over their faces, she took in every small detail in them. Erin looked at the crinkles at the corners of their eyes, something they received due to their age. She then looked at her Dad's nose and observed how slender and sharp it was compared to her mother's button nose. Next was their face structures, her father's was squared compared to her mother's heart-shaped one. She even observed how her father's lips were fuller than her mom's. In that moment, Erin realized she had more of her mother's features. She had everything her mother had, even their hair was the same. The only thing she got from her father was his dominant brown eyes.

"We're going to the ice cream parlor." Mister Roberts was the one to answer.

Erin scrunched her nose in confusion. "Why?"

A throaty laugh erupted from her father's mouth. He knew his daughter was intelligent enough to know that something was up between him and his wife. Shaking his head at her bluntness and saying a quick prayer to God that she would take the news they had to say well.

"Well, do you not want ice cream?" He teased.

"Yeah, I want ice cream. But, it just seemed weird." Erin shrugged, deciding to let go of the suspicion and just enjoy a trip to get ice cream.

The family of three entered soon entered the ice cream parlor. Mister Roberts asked his two girls what they wanted to order before heading for the line. Erin's mother guided her to an empty table that would be able to seat the three of them. Missus Roberts pulled out the chair for Erin to sit on—which she did happily—then sat down herself. She silently watched her daughter, she watched her nod her head along to the music playing and her eyes darting around the parlor in curiosity. The more the woman stared at the girl, she couldn't help but begin to feel anxious. 'How will she take the news?' and questions of that sort were swirling in mind in a messy, irregular spiral.

Erin could feel her mother's looks on her but decided to ignore them and delve into the environment around her. The smell of fresh waffle cones was thick in the air, her tongue began watering at the thought. She then acknowledged that there were many other people sitting and waiting in line. Her imaginative mind wandered and made up scenarios about the lives of people around her.

She saw an old person sitting alone eating ice cream by himself. He seemed happy with his ice cream, but there was a look on his face. Erin's young mind searched for a comparison before landing on one from her favorite Disney movie at the time. The look was the same that Ariel had when she thought of Prince Eric. The memory of someone she loved was enough to bring her joy and content. Erin narrowed down to the idea that he was deeply in love with his ice cream—that it was true love. She giggled at the ridiculous thought.

Before Erin could get another person to judge, her mother asked her a question. "How was your day at school today?"

"It was good." She didn't look towards her mother, instead she kept looking for her next victim.

Missus Roberts noticed this and looked in the direction Erin was looking at. She expected to see something out of the ordinary, a reason why her daughter was distracted. Yet when she looked, everything seemed normal. There was just regular people doing regular things. "Erin, honey, what are you looking at?" She questioned.

"Just a game." Erin shrugged, still paying attention to the person she found. It was a crying baby, not even a year old yet. He was with his father only, his mother nowhere in sight. Instead of thinking of the fact she was probably in the bathroom, Erin thought that the baby was missing the mother that simply left. What could she be doing? She's probably a superhero that had to leave abruptly to go save the day.

"What game?" Missus Erin pushed.

"Something I made up," She started. "I look at people and try to make up stories about them."

Erin's mother nodded slowly in understanding. Confused as to why Erin was interested in doing something like that, she asked who she was deciphering at the moment to better understand what was going through her daughter's developing brain. Erin told her about her hypothesis on the baby. Soon, Missus Roberts joined in her game and whispered her ideas on the people in the little ice cream shop. The two giggled as they both tried to make up the most absurd scenarios.

As Mister Roberts approached the table, he heard the giggles of the his two girls. He walked slowly and carefully trying not to spill the ice cream cones he had just bought. When he made it to his wife and daughter, they quieted down their laughter when they say the ice cream in his hands. The family man held out each of their ice creams for them to take. Erin got a strawberry waffle cone with rainbow sprinkles while her mother got butter pecan. Mister Roberts got chocolate ice cream with a chocolate dipped waffle cone and chocolate sprinkles.

They all began eating their ice cream before it began to melt. The adults managed to keep their face clean while Erin got some on the corners of her mouth and the tip of her nose. She was also struggling to not get it in her wild locks. Blowing her hair out of her face was not helping the situation, it was instead sending drops of ice cream into her curls. Missus Roberts came to the rescue by wiping Erin's mouth and pushing her hair behind her ears. A small content smile warming the mother's face.

The 32-year-old father, looked at his wife with a nervous smile and a hesitant nod before starting a conversation with their daughter. "Erin?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"You're mom and I want to tell you something very important." Even though he had a smile on his face, Erin could see the seriousness in his eyes. The thought that she did something wrong, ran through her mind. She tried to think of what she could've done and the only thing that she could think of was Jason.

"Did I do something wrong?" She looked at her parents with her doe-like eyes and her voice shaky.

Missus Roberts' face melted into one of sorrow. "No, of course not! This has nothing to do with you. Well, it does but not in a negative way. I promise."

"Then what's going on, Mom?"

"Well, we just wanted to start off by telling you that we love you and you can never be replaced. No matter what." Mister Roberts began.

"I know that." Erin giggled, playfully rolling her eyes.

"Erin, how would you feel if we made our family bigger?" Missus Roberts asked.

"But I thought we already had a big family? I have a gazillion cousins, I can't even remember all their names!" The adults lightly laughed at Erin's exaggeration.

"What we're trying to ask is, how would you feel having a little brother or sister?" Mister Roberts stepped in.

Putting the connections together, Erin looked at her mother and gasped. "Mom, you're going to have another baby?"

Taking her surprise in a negative way, Missus Roberts struggled to explain. "Yes—but know, we love you and you can never be replace and—"

"Can it be a girl?" Erin interrupted. "I've always wanted a little sister."

A smile bursted on both parent's faces and relief washed over them. They had been so nervous about telling Erin about the baby Missus Roberts is carrying. She had read in many books that children her age would sometimes feel bad and might act negatively towards the coming child. The doubts were soon swept into a box and labeled as ridiculous. They should've known Erin was going to handle it maturely, she had always talked about a younger sibling.

"That's not how it works, honey." Mister Roberts laughed.

Erin's head tilted to the side. "Then how does it work?"

" _That's a story for another day_."

 **Hope you all enjoyed this! It was a bit of a filler chapter so I'm sorry if it was a bit boring, I just want to let the relationship between Erin and Jason to develop a bit. And sorry it took me a while to post.**

 **You're probably thinking, where's the Bat?! I'm just giving you a heads-up that he comes in chapter 5. So yeah.**

 **Please follow and favorite me and this story!**

 **Also, please review! It inspires me to write faster and I want to know what you think about this chapter and how the story is going so far!**

 **I'll hopefully update soon!**

 **\- Kay (redhood-for-hire)**

 **P.S. Please check out my other story Having a Bit of Trust. It's a Dick Grayson and OC fic that will be linked to this one in the future**

 **P.P.S. I started writing these stories on wattpad too. So, if you have one, you should go check it out ;) It's the same name as this one.**


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